Cable entrenching machine



April 7, 1945. H. s. BACON CABLE ENTRENCHING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 3, 1943 a a w wm y? April 1 7, 1945.

H. S. BACON CABLE ENTRENCHING MACHINE Filed June 3, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .E INVENfOR. I

Patented Apr. 17, 1945 "yum-rm CABLE TRENCHING MACHINE- Henry Stuart Bacon, West Roxbury, Mass.

" Application June'3, 1943, Serial No. 489,545;

3' Claims.

This invention aims to provide a simple, inexpensive and easily operated means for laying one or more cables or aline of pipes, novel means being supplied for making the necessary excavation, means being provided for opening a trench for'the' reception of the cable or pipe, and means being incorporated for restoring to the trench, theearth which has been removed therefrom. A further object of the invention is to provide novel means for actuating the various movable parts. It is within the province of the' disclosure to improve generally and to enhance the utility of devices of that type towhich the present invention appertains. I

Within the aboveand other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the

- invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described" and'claimed, it being understood that changesin the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 "shows, in side elevation, a device constructed in accordance with the invention, parts beingsectioned away;

Fig. 2 is a top'plany Fig. 3 is atransverse section showing-parts of J the excavating and ties; I

' Fig; 4 is a transverse section 'on the line, 4-4

of Fig.2; I I

' Fig; 5 is a longitudinal section showing a modicable laying instrumentalification headed pivot pin 3 or the like, connecting the yoke I to the tongue 4, of a towing instrumentality (not shown). Y

The letter F directs attention, gene1'ally, to a frame, embodying a main member 5 having a downwardly extended and rearwardly inclined loop-shaped bracket 6. The frame F includes an L-shaped arm' "I, which is downwardly and rearwardly inclined, the forward end of the armpending part of the arm I.

being connected to the rear end of the main frame member 5. Intermediate its ends, the upper portion of the arm I has a rearwardly extended and substantially horizontal projection 8, towhich is secured a scraper 9. scraper 9 tapers, as it extends rearwardly, and it is of inverted 'V-shape in cross section. The point of the scraper 9 is cut away transversely, as indicated at H) in Fig. 2, to form a rear opening H (Fig. 4) in the scraper, the opening preventing clogging of the scraper by earth, as the scraper advances over the surface of the soil. The scraper 9 constitutes means for returning backfilling to the trench, the scraper being wide enough to span the trench, the'scraper forming the sole means for determining the downward and rearward inclination of the trench-former. The scraper 9 renders unnecessary, the use of castor wheels and ,thelike, as a means for preventing thetrench former from swinging downwardly on' a horizontal axis represented by the shaft 11. I i 7 The main member 5 of the frame is supplied with'a laterally ofiset finger I2, and has other fingers l4 and I5, disposed parallel to the finger l2. 'The fingers l4 and [5 of "the main member 5 are disposed between the side portions of the yoke I, the finger l5 being connected to theadjacent side portion of the yoke b'y a pivot element 16; and the fingers |4--l2 being connected to the corresponding side portion of the'yok'e, pivotally, throughthe'instrumentality of a shaft I1, theconstruction being such that the main member 5 and' parts associated with it can have a vertical swinging movement. Rotation may be imparted to the shaft Hin any desired way,

for example,through a belt and pulley mecha-' nism I8 deriving its power from any suitable instrumentality on the towing vehicle (not shown).

A downwardly and rearwardly inclined trumpet guide I9 is supplied, the guide being fixed, intermediate its ends, in the rear and forward portions of the bracket 6 and in the rear, de-

It is through the guide l3 that the cable 20 to be laid Days, as it is deposited in a trench constructed by means to be described hereinafter.

Atubular shaft 2| isjournaled on the guide |9 and in the forward and rear portions of the bracket 6. Between the rear, depending end of the arm land the rear portion of the bracket 6, the shaft 2| carries a plurality of spaced, spiral, screw excavators 22.

Fixed to the forward end of the tubular shaft 2| is a beveled pinion 23, meshing with a beveled The gear 24 secured to the inner end of the transverse shaft I l. The driving train for the excavators 22 includes the belt and pulley mechanism l8 (or its equivalent), the shaft H, the beveled gear 24, the beveled pinion 23 and the tubular shaft 2|.

A shaft 25 is disposed parallel to the shaft 2| and is journaled in the depending rear part of the arm 1 and in the rear portion of the bracket 6. A spur gear 26 is secured to the forward end of the shaft 25,.within the bracket 6, and meshes with a spur gear 21., likewise located within the bracket and secured to the shaft 2|.

The shaft 25 carries any suitable means for cleaning the conveyor elements 22 of excess earth. That means may embody a plurality of plate-like fins 28, extended longitudinally of the shaft 25 and disposed ninety degrees apart, as

depicted in Fig. 3. The fins 28 are supplied with vanced, the rotating excavators 22 form a trench,

the loosened soil being carried upwardly and deposited upon the surface of the earth. The cable 20, passing through the guide 19, is deposited in the trench formed by the excavators 22, the scraper 9 moving over the surface of the soil and returning the loosened earth to the trench, the cable being laid and covered in practically one operation. As has been intimated hereinbefore, the parts 28 on the rotating shaft 26 clear the excavators 22 and the intervening portions of the shaft 2| of excess earth.

In the event that it is desired to lay two cables at once, a trumpet guide 30 may be mounted in the depending portion of the arm 1 and in the rear part of the bracket 6, above the cleaning instrumentality 28, the intake mouth of the guide 30 being disposed in a substantially vertical position. The second cable 3| runs through the guide 30, and finds its place in the furrow or ditch, in a way which will 'be obvious when Fig. 1 of the drawings is examined.

Referring to the form shown in Figs. 5 and 6, parts hereirrbefore described have been designated by numerals already used, with. the suffix a. The tubular guide I9 of Fig. 1 is replaced by a solid shaft 32, mounted in the bracket 5 of Fig. l, and on this shaft rotates, through the instrumentality of'the pinions 26 and 2'! of Fig, l. the tubular shaft 2la. The tubular shaft 2Ia embodies a plurality of hubs 33, [between which, spacers 34 may be interposed, the spacers and the hubs being provided with interfitting teeth 35. If no spacer is used at any particular place, the teeth of the hub 33 will interfit with the teeth of the next adjoining hub.

Each hub 33 carries its spiral excavator 22a, each excavator having, about a portion of its periphery, a flange 36, extended longitudinally of the axis of rotation of the excavator and tapered off to the surface of the excavator, as shown at 31. The flanges 36 aid in cutting the earth, and in the elevation of the loosened earth.

The form shown in Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings is adapted to be used when a single cable or line of pipe, only, is to be laid.

In either of its forms, the device forming the subject matter of this application is simple in construction and easily kept up, and will be found thoroughl advantageous for the ends in view.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine for laying a cable or the like in a trench, a support, a downwardly and rearwardly inclined trench-former including'spiral parts, means for mounting the trench-former for rotation on the support, and for upward and downward swinging movement thereon, a cleaner journaled on the support andcomprising rotatable elements extended between the spiral parts of the trench-former, to aid in ridding them of earth, means for coupling the trench-former and the cleaner together for rotation, means for imparting rotation to the trench-former, a cable guide carried by the support and leading downwardly to a place behind the trench-former, and a substantially-horizontal scraper carried by the support and constituting means for returning backfilling to the trench, the scraper being wide enough to span the trench, the scraper forming the sole means for determining the downward and rearward inclination of the trench-former.

2. A machine for layingcable or the like in a trench, constructed as set forth in claim 1, and wherein the means for mounting the trenchforrner for rotation on the support is a fixed, hollow shaft, forming a second cable guide.

3. A machine for laying cable or the like in a trench, constructed as set forth in claim 1, and wherein the means for mounting the trenchformer for rotation on the support is a solid shaft, the trench-former comprising tubular hubs receiving the shaft, and removable spacers between the hubs and receiving the shaft, the spacers and the hubs having detachably-interengaged elements, the hubs carrying the aforesaid spiral parts.

HENRY STUART BACON. 

